Transforming biochemistry knowledge into weight loss:

This page was begun as an experiment. An experiment I was conducting on myself. An experiment to test which conditions would allow me to loose weight. Now that I have been at it for a while I realize this page serves as more. It serves as a means for me to research. It is a way for me to pick health topics of interest, research them from a biochemistry stand point, and then share them with the world. Sharing them with you gives me an official feeling and keeps me motivated. However, as described below, I am still experimenting on myself.

I wasn't born fat, but over the years I have become really fat even though I am a biochemist. I have a giant gut and breasts. It shouldn't be hard for me to put on my socks in the morning because I am so fat. My clothes shouldn't feel uncomfortable because they are pressing against my fat rolls. I shouldn't be embarrassed to go to a swimming pool. I shouldn't have to go to a big and tall store to get clothes that fit. The list of negative emotions associated with being fat goes on and on. In short, it just feels bad emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

How did this happen? I don't know exactly although I am almost sure it boils down to diet and exercise. I hope to find the answers as I explore my journey through weight loss on this blog. I was not always fat. Therefore, I know that I can be unfat again.

I am a biochemist. I should have known better. Of all people, I should have known how to avoid this predicament I am in now. I now wish to harness my scientific knowledge to experiment on myself as well as explore the chemical basis for weight loss methods.

Methods:

I will try new diets. I will experiment on myself. The diets will be chosen from among the most popular in our society. I will chronicle the results and my general experience in my blog here. I will also explore the biochemical basis for these diets as well as evaluate their effectiveness and truthfulness. I will also exercise as regularly as possible, 3-5 times per week, to avoid biasing the results. I will try to keep everything constant in my life except the diet. My method is not perfect. I don't necessarily want to lose raw pounds, but rather gain an understanding of what methods work best for me to permanently regain my health.

Hypothesis:

1. No diet will be clearly better than the others. Conversely, each diet will offer some truth, some piece of knowledge or methodology that I can take away with me to help myself. I think that in the end, I will be able to formulate my own diet based on a synthesis of all the things I have learned from all of these diets.

2. I have been on diets before, lost weight, and then regained it. I wasn't born fat. Given that, I think that my main problem will be shown to be psychological. I think that I may have compulsive eating problems- compulsive eating problems associated with very unhealthy foods.

3. I will lose quite a bit of weight. My blog will help keep my motivation levels high.

4. There will be a lack of clear scientific basis to many of the diets.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

February 8, 2010 (Falling off the wagon)

I've been bad. Last Thursday I had a dinner appointment with potential employers. I figured I better eat "normal" and drink wine as well, so as not to look abnormal. I had half a bottle of red wine, had some white bread, and even had some small desert. The next day it got worse. I was invited to a bar by an old friend and drank a bunch of beer. The next day I was hung over and ate garbage (things like pizza). I got back to the Zone yesterday. So, I lost 3 days of dieting.

Today I weighed in at 261.8. I will never know how much of that was due to my binging and how much is just because I came out of the Atkins and out of ketosis. I wonder if people normally gain water weight or any weight simply by going off the Atkins.

I had oatmeal and a soy protein drink for breakfast. Homemade turkey chili for lunch. Peanuts for snacks. Water only today for beverages. For dinner, I had collard greens cooked in olive oil as well as taco meat made from ground turkey. For some reason I was a little hungry about an hour after dinner.

I am really disappointed in myself. Furthermore my feet are getting better but they still hurt. I am afraid to exercise and make them worse.

Well, I still need to talk about eicosanoids. That will be later in the week. Also, I haven't touched on how my therapy is going, and how I have been doing with my food/eating assignments from my therapist.

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